If it will be a bike to supplement your racing with some good ol' fashion bashing in the woods, then the Stumpjumper may be your bike.

I assume by the way you own a carbon hardtail, you'll be racing this bike, or riding it like a race bike, so I would have to suggest the Epic. I've taken a test bike through some serious punishment (drops, jumps, rock gardens) and it always rode great. You won't loose the way you ride a bike just because you ride a different kind of bike, so you should probably get one that suits your style. And my guess is that bike is the Epic.

But I'll tell you the same thing I tell everyone; go ride them. It's the only way you'll actually know. Doesn't stop me from asking the same sorts of questions though. You never know, you may really like the way the SJ descends and put up with it on the uphills, I know I prefer the SJ for general riding.

I'm trying to make the same decision. I race mostly XC in my collegiate races on an aluminum HT. I want to find a bike that can keep up in both XC and Super D races and will be fun for XC/trail riding.
Is the extra travel on the stumpy worth the weight/climbing ability?
I'll try to demo them both, just looking for advice.

I have been on this subject for weeks. Epic all day. I have only talked to one person who prefered the Top Fuel over the epic. And he has never even podiumed, not even close, and he was kind of an idiot. Everyone else has loved the epic. I have not riden the new style of top fuel but I have riden the old style. Hated it. The Epic is just about spot on, especialy with the brain.

I'm with the epic, but seriously if you are racing you are out of the saddle on most desents and the front forks are doing all the suspension and the back end is just doing whatever it wants just like having a hardtail. The extra travel is nice for drops and big jumps when your landing both wheels at the same time not really xc stuff. What goes down must first go up so epic for me.

I'd go Epic. I went from a Stumpy anniversary FSR to the '09 Epic Marathon. Was concerned about the Brain, but it works great if you get it set up properly. Start with the recommended psi in the manual and experiment with the Brain Fade to dial it in. Rides like a HT on smooth stuff and like a FS when it gets rougher.

SJ is not the way to go if you plan to race. Test ride the Top Fuel and the Epic. I did and ended with an Epic...Also, I think you a get better components for the money with S...not all of them, but most.

I'm trying to make the same decision. I race mostly XC in my collegiate races on an aluminum HT. I want to find a bike that can keep up in both XC and Super D races and will be fun for XC/trail riding.
Is the extra travel on the stumpy worth the weight/climbing ability?
I'll try to demo them both, just looking for advice.